Victoria has to be dragged into the future

Re: “City council geared to OK Fort Street bike lanes,” June 6.

I have to comment on the negative responses to the development of bike lanes in Victoria, particularly the criticism of the new two-way bike lanes on one-way streets.

My husband and I have done a lot of bike touring on our own in Europe using the amazing bike infrastructure that exists in many countries, and it is so far ahead of what we have here. We have cycled through many large European cities.

On our last trip, we rode on designated bike lanes right through Hamburg, Germany, a big industrial city, in complete safety and comfort. Cyclists are often permitted to ride in either direction on oneway streets. This presents no problems whatsoever.

I would also like to see Government Street and Douglas Street in the immediate downtown area closed to vehicle traffic to create wide pedestrian and bike ways, with a hop-on, hop-off shuttle circling this route. I think the naysayers would be amazed at how vibrant and busy these streets would become, as they are in Europe.

I would be much more inclined to shop downtown if this were the case. It’s sad that Victoria has to be dragged kicking and screaming into a future that already exists in many cities elsewhere. I applaud Victoria council for their work in the face of such uninformed opposition.

Jennifer Margison North Saanich